


A Costly Contract

by Merfilly



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-26
Updated: 2007-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-05 23:10:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/728969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slade tells Roy to meet him, and that has ominous chords.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Costly Contract

**Author's Note:**

> Grell Era Green Arrow and New Teen Titans backdrop.

"Kid, you need to meet me."

The ominous click made Roy's hair stand on end. There was no doubt he'd be able to find the mercenary; Slade had a few spots he tended to haunt when he wanted a Titan's attention.

He just could not imagine why the man wanted him. Usually those kinds of contacts were saved for Dick, or, on a rare occasion, Joey.

Still, Slade did not make any kind of demand lightly. He geared up, went and found Joey for his back up, and headed out to find the man.

`~`~`~`~`

Roy looked at the man standing opposite him with suspicion, but the mercenary was not making a threatening move in the least. Roy could not see a reason to start a fight with Slade here and now, so he sighed and nodded once to him.

"Kid, you Titans are the biggest thorn in my business," Slade began. "Certain contracts tend to bring me in conflict with you, and it's almost not profitable to take them."

"Then don't." Roy's defiant words were met with an easy smirk.

"Not that simple, and you know it." Slade shifted against the wall he was leaning on. "Got a new client to check out, Harper, that you might feel a need to interfere over. But the money on this one is too good for me to just not go after it, just because you and your friends might get in a tizzy."

Roy bristled. "Slade, if this is some strange attempt to warn me…"

"Actually, kid, I'm looking to give you a chance to make a counter-offer." Slade's one eye gleamed at him. "You could say the client hasn't made a nuisance of himself to me, yet, and I do have a little bit of interest in you."

Roy could not help but wonder who Slade was referring to. "So you have to tell me, and what's to keep me from warning him?"

"Who said you'd walk from here, if we don't make a deal?" Slade smirked. "Easy enough to keep you out of the way, handle the client, then let you loose to start your own hunt on me." He looked as if that possibility was actually worth considering. "Ehh, I prefer the idea that we can make a deal on this one. Got a feeling if I go for the client, I might have to deal with that pretty little brunette he lives with, and I've heard she's pretty damn good."

Now the archer felt every nerve in his body screaming at him, causing the muscles to tense and shift him into an attack position. Slade never even blinked at the posturing.

"Green Arrow…" //DINAH!!!//

Slade nodded. "Got a buy on him with a high dollar tag. Only have about twelve more hours to respond."

Roy's head flew over the possibilities. If Slade accepted the deal, he would have Roy in his custody, because there was no way he could beat Slade. Joey was watching from a distance, but Slade was likely to have something in place in case Roy had brought back up.

Ollie might be able to defend himself…and he ought to let him, but Dinah? She was a great martial artist, but Slade worked from a range when he knew things like that.

The image of her face, looking down at him while he was racked with withdrawal symptoms haunted him.

"What in hell could I offer you, Slade?" Roy growled, defeated by those memories more than anything else.

"This kind of paycheck…it's going to be a setback to pass it up, in terms of what it could have bought." Slade's slow smile was just a shade less than malicious. "I'm a man who enjoys my comforts, after all."

The redhead let the words ring through him, then noted the frank way Slade's eye roved over him, and felt ill to his stomach. Rumor had it his Robbie had wound up making some kind of deal like this to buy off the man once before, but Roy had never believed it…until now.

"I…I know how to make things…comfortable," he heard himself saying.

Slade shook his head with a sly smile. "Here's the offer." The mercenary shifted again. "I'm going to be in and out of the area for the next few weeks. In the space of that time, I will call you and tell you where to go. Ten visits, and I call it even for not taking the hit."

Roy wanted very desperately to throw up, punch the man, or just run like hell. But Dinah…

"My word. Ten visits."

"Good call, kid." Slade nodded at him. "Discretion might be advised."

"Of course," Roy said gruffly.

Slade just nodded, leaving him there to go make sure the buyer knew he was taking this client on.

`~`~`~`~`

The night of the first visit came, and Roy made his way to the appointed address, to find a nice estate. He was still twitching from the thought of what he had agreed to, when Wintergreen let him in. It crossed his mind that the Brit had always seemed to genteel to be party to something like this, but Roy knew scum came in al types of masks.

He made his way to the room Wintergreen indicated and stepped in…to find an indoor shooting gallery. Slade was there, dressed in casual clothing, and looking over a full case of various firearms.

"Come here, Harper."

Reluctantly, Roy approached, and looked over the hardware. Slade set the nine mil back down in its place and glanced at him. "Lesson one, care and cleaning," Slade told him, completely mystifying Roy.

"What?!"

Slade smirked. "You kids always assume the worst of me, you know?" He indicated the nine. "Bring that, and learn a few tricks that might do you good when you grow out of that ridiculous hat of yours."

Roy's eyes were incredulous, but he did as told. Slade spent most of the night teaching him about firearms, everything from maintenance to where to hit a man to do the most, and the least, damage.

When he got ready to leave, Roy looked up at the mercenary with hard eyes. "Why the shadow game? Why not just tell me this?"

"Kid, would you have thought I was getting fair value if I offered to teach you instead of taking that paycheck?"

Roy had to admit that it did sound insane, put that way.

"The threat of what you thought I wanted met your expectations of me, got you to agree and take it seriously." Slade indicated the weapons. "I've been itching to see your eye at work on something a little more potent than a bow for a while. This way I get what I want, you get better, and I don't have to be miserable in Seattle's weather, looking for the best shot."

Roy grinned, shaking his head. "Damn it, Slade, at times like this, I almost see why Robin admires you as much as he hates you."

Slade just laughed.

`~`~`~`~`


End file.
